1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to chairs that are convertible into various forms for multiple uses, and more particularly to a chair that can be converted from a high chair into a rocking chair and vise versa.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Convertible chairs such as chairs that are convertible between a high chair configuration and a rocking chair configuration are known in the art. There are several patents that disclose various chair constructions which are convertible between a high chair configuration and a rocking chair configuration.
Gifford, U.S. Pat. No. 397,851 discloses a child""s adjustable chair. The rocker elements permanently support the seat on accordion type folding cross members which can be raised and lowered as desired. The lower cross members act to prevent movement on the rockers when the chair is in the higher positions.
Thompson, U.S. Pat. Nos. 677,382, 677,383, and 775,387 disclose convertible high chair and rockers, wherein the legs become the rocker elements and are hinged together. The seat of the chair has a rigid base with depending straight legs that are secured at their lower ends to lateral side bars. In these chairs, one pair of legs curve downward and to the rear, and another pair of legs curve downward and to the front, the legs forming the rocker elements are pivotally connected to the lateral side bars of the base. In the high chair elevated position, the side bars of the base are supported at the top end of the legs and the seat, and thus the occupant, is disposed a distance above the side bars and above the point of support.
Washburn, U.S. Pat. No. 736,180 discloses a convertible high chair and rocker, wherein the seat of the chair has a rigid base with depending straight legs that are secured at their lower ends to lateral side bars. The curved legs that become the rocker elements and are hinged together and provided with a slot and pin arrangement, and one pair of curved legs is provided with catches having a shoulder extension that protrudes from the end of the legs. When the chair is raised from the lower to the upper position, the pin and slot, or the shoulder extension, will limit the angular motion of the legs, and hooks on the side bars will engage the catches to lock the legs to the side bars of the base. In the high chair elevated position, the side bars of the base are supported at the top end of the legs and the seat, and thus the occupant, is disposed a distance above the side bars and above the point of support.
Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 682,961, and Lepard, U.S. Pat. No. 877,204 disclose convertible high chair and rocker construction having two front legs that curve downward and to the rear, and two rear legs that curve downward and to the front, and the legs form the rocker elements.
Erdos, U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,771 discloses a triply convertible chair having two pairs of long, curved rocker elements which hinge and pivot together is a wide variety of ways.
Irwin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,046 discloses a convertible rocker and high chair. A chair portion is connected to two pairs of extendable, crossing arms that in turn are connected to two pairs of rocker elements. Locking pawls and pivoting connections allow the chair portion to be raised into a high chair configuration. The chair can be lowered and the arms and rocker elements fold together as the rocker elements contact the ground.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by the present convertible high chair and rocker which is supported by lateral pairs of curved pivotally connected legs that are extendable between a raised high chair configuration and serve as rockers when the chair lowered. The chair has a rigid seat, back rest, lateral arm rests, and lateral side members at the bottom end of vertical legs depending from an underside of the seat. Laterally opposed pairs of elongate longitudinally curved inner and outer legs are joined in laterally opposed parallel relation, and pivotally connected by a mutual pivot connection. Each outer leg is pivotally connected to a respective lateral side member to pivot relative thereto. An arcuate catch element is secured at one end of each inner leg. A latch member is pivotally connected to an inner facing side of each lateral side member and has a rear end with a depending hook portion. The latch member rear ends are joined together by a transverse rung that is raised and lowered by a spring biased rod having a knob at its outer end. In a raised high chair configuration, the latch hook portions are engaged with the catch elements to secure the leg members in their raised position and prevent pivotal movement. To lower the chair, the hook portions of the latches are disengaged from the catch elements by pulling the knob and, as the chair is lowered, the outer legs pivot about their pivot connection with the lateral side members, and the inner and outer legs pivot about their mutual pivot connection in a scissors fashion to form rockers with the bottom of the lateral side members resting on the top surface of the inner legs and the outer legs disposed parallel with the inner legs.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a chair that is convertible between a raised high chair configuration and a lowered rocker configuration.
It is another object of this invention to provide a convertible high chair and rocker that is easily and quickly manually converted between a high chair configuration and a rocker configuration without the use of tools.
Another object of this invention is to provide a convertible high chair and rocker that is easily and quickly raised and lowered by simply pulling a knob.
Another object of this invention is to provide a convertible high chair and rocker in a single piece of furniture that has the advantages and dual utility of both configurations.
Another object of this invention is to provide a convertible high chair and rocker that has a safety latch mechanism that automatically secures the legs in their raised position to prevent accidental collapse.
A further object of this invention is to provide a convertible high chair and rocker wherein the seat is positioned relative to the upper portion of the legs in their raised position to provide stable support of the occupant.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a convertible high chair and rocker that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and rugged and reliable in operation.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related.
The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the present convertible high chair and rocker which is supported by lateral pairs of curved pivotally connected legs that are extendable between a raised high chair configuration and serve as rockers when the chair lowered. The chair has a rigid seat, back rest, lateral arm rests, and lateral side members at the bottom end of vertical legs depending from an underside of the seat. Laterally opposed pairs of elongate longitudinally curved inner and outer legs are joined in laterally opposed parallel relation, and pivotally connected by a mutual pivot connection. Each outer leg is pivotally connected to a respective lateral side member to pivot relative thereto. An arcuate catch element is secured at one end of each inner leg. A latch member is pivotally connected to an inner facing side of each lateral side member and has a rear end with a depending hook portion. The latch member rear ends are joined together by a transverse rung that is raised and lowered by a spring biased rod having a knob at its outer end. In a raised high chair configuration, the latch hook portions are engaged with the catch elements to secure the leg members in their raised position and prevent pivotal movement. To lower the chair, the hook portions of the latches are disengaged from the catch elements by pulling the knob and, as the chair is lowered, the outer legs pivot about their pivot connection with the lateral side members, and the inner and outer legs pivot about their mutual pivot connection in a scissors fashion to form rockers with the bottom of the lateral side members resting on the top surface of the inner legs and the outer legs disposed parallel with the inner legs.